Hendrick van Balen
Diana and Actaeon
Oil on copper. FOLGEN.
Signed lower centre:.
Drawing on a motif from Ovid's "Metamorphoses", this painting shows Diana, the goddess of the hunt, being spied on by Actaeon as she bathes with her nymphs. As a punishment, Diana will transform Actaeon into a deer, and he will be torn apart by his own hounds.
In his expertise, Klaus Ertz dates the painting to the years around 1610 and thus to Hendrik van Balen's Antwerp period, in which he oriented himself on the works of Hans Rottenhammer. In addition, Ertz emphasises that the landscape in our painting also comes from the hand of Hendrik van Balen; an exception in the work of the artist, who was particularly active as a figure painter.
An unsigned oil painting, slightly smaller in dimensions, also on copper, with the same composition but slightly varying details has already been attributed to Hendrik van Balen in 2019 by Dr Thomas Fusenig without knowledge of our painting (1141st Lempertz auction, Cologne 16.11.2019, lot 1045).
Certificate
Dr. Klaus Ertz, Lingen 20.3.2023.
Provenance
Presumably acquired in 1920/1925 for West German private ownership. - Lempertz auction 321, Cologne 10.-11.6.1931, lot 10 (as Jan van Balen). - Subsequently in the same West German private family ownership until the present day.